《Hero Scout》Chapter 9 - Evil Souls 18
Advertisement
Kenji scanned the boy knight's memories quickly and decided to snatch a silver candle from the shrine to the Everseeing. More than a mere candle, Kenji could now see it was filled with holy power. Used as a magical focus, this is what had allowed Arthur to cast spells he had spent years learning.
Turning slowly, Kenji strode to where the corpse of Mr Guard lay.
"I'm sorry Mr Guard, but I promise I will avenge you. So you can rest now, and thank you very much for the help. Even if I couldn't keep your boy alive," Kenji wiped away the tears as he pulled away the iron helm. The man was rugged, with a broken nose and eyes that stared into eternity.
Slowly, Kenji closed them. Clasping his hands he whispered a prayer, before dragging himself away with the heaviest heart in all the world.
Candle in hand, he pulled the windows open. Sucking in a big breath, Kenji carefully stepped through, to walk alone slippery roofing with steel-wrapped feet. It took precious time, but eventually, he got to the point where he could jump a gap and land atop the stone walls of the quart yard.
Recalling memories of the last battle, Kenji's heart sank. From Arthur's perspective, the intruder had been deadly fast, wickedly skilled and had only gotten wounded at all due to his fear of his white fire and Kenji's suicidal tackle. How the previous guards managed to wound the assassin at all was beyond Kenji's understanding. Even wounded, the assassin was likely to be faster and more experienced.
Kenji needed a plan.
Activating his blessing of [sight], the white eye burned in his forehead, his perception becoming incredibly detailed. Ahead he made out the slightest impressions in the dirt of the invisible assassin. Behind splattered blotched of blue, the assassin managing to send the droplets in a haphazard manner behind him as he staggered towards the gate.
"Come out and plaaaAAaaay," Kenji said in his best horror film voice, scraping the stone at his feet with his gauntlet.
The assassin turned on a dime to see Kenji crash into stone, pain flaring up and down his legs. He forced himself to ignore the damage, focusing everything on the show.
Advertisement
"I killed you," came a regal voice. Invisibility shuddering, the creature slowly revealed itself. "Tch, out of mana." A dark cape, two little white fangs, ashen skin and slanted eyes filled with crimson orbs that held the weight of a Lord in their depths. Rising tall, the Vampire assassin stared with a hungering bloodthirst right into Kenji's soul.
"You made a mistake. You can't kill what's already dead ooOOoo~" Kenji said in his best-haunted tone. The way the vampire stepped back, one hand clenched to one of the wounds in his side, Kenji thought it was working.
"I hate this damned world. My first dead hero and it was some kind of lich-"
"Liches are magic users," Kenji said against his better judgment. "I would be closer to a Deathknight."
"Did you not just use Holy magic before?" The vampire's eyebrow twitched. "And since when can those associated with a holy power become undead anyway? This game suuuuucks."
"Ever heard of the Lich King? he was a paladin that became a Deathknight- but he had lich in the title- bah! never mind," Kenji growled.
"So- not really a ghost then?" The Vampire Assasin smirked.
"What number are you?" Kenji stalked closer. Activating his magic focus, the silver candle becoming lit with a little white flame. Drawing on its holy essence, Kenji cast [Bless-fire] on his sword, white fire erupting along its steel edge.
"Number....? 16, and you?" The Vampire leaned closer to the ground and flickered a blade from fine noble sleaves into each hand. Even worse, Kenji realised he had stopped bleeding as his eyes had started to flare red.
"What. Number?" The vampire said, licking his lips as his white fangs lengthened, and claws burst through his gloves.
"Your XP...you spent it," Kenji said as he realised. Spitting to the side, Kenji lowered his helm. "I'm 1."
That made the bastard's eyes go wide, Kenji already swinging his flaming sword before he could recover.
"DAARIO?" The Vampire screamed, moving like water and yet startled, proved too slow. Kenji's sword plunged into his shoulder, cutting through like butter, darkness and blue blood exploding outward.
"I'm sorry Daario, I didn't know this was your terf! I'll do what you ask - just don't kill me!"
Advertisement
Cleaving down into his belly, the Vampire screamed.
"Kneel then, throw away your weapons and swear me your fealty," Kenji said in his best bad guy tone. From roleplaying games, he knew it was best when emotionless, unforgiving, and absolutely cut-throat in implementation. The Vampire knelt, head pressed into the ground, knives crashing against the stone in each direction.
"It's me Daario, Seb. We used Nocturne as an intermediary?"
Ah, so they had never met each other face to face, Kenji thought. That made him very happy indeed, worried his mannerisms would not be in line with this 'Daario' he seemed so scared of.
"Seb, tell me about your species. All of it," Kenji continued unabating, edging closer. Wanting to be absolutely sure he could end this in the next strike.
"Vampire Elder species. Fast, can regenerate by spending blood. Blood that for me is pure mana, and takes many more bodies to replenish. My special ability is invisibility, but that costs my blood to maintain as well, even if it is quite cheap."
Peering up, Seb squinted. "But Daario, I was told holy element was our weakness as morally evil- urgh!" Kenji missed, his blade sinking deep through 16's other shoulder to pierce a lung, pulling free he left the vampire with nearly a third of his body dangling. Sliding back quickly, 16 jumped to his feet, a third knife in dangling hand, blue blood welling between the wounds and stitching them back together.
"You not Daario, are you?" 16 snarled, eyes flaring red.
"Nope," Kenji said mid-swing, gambling it everything by adjusting the arc of his swing to where the Vampire might go. Sure enough, the Vampire had moved instinctually, and Kenji swung his flaming sword right through the vampire's head. A burst of white and the Vampire was reduced to a smouldering corpse, a fuzzy feeling like static filling the back of Kenji's mind.
[Well done, Crusader. By defeating a creature of the Night you have gained my favour- wait, who are you?]
Kenji sweated through all his layers, as he felt a god peering into his soul.
[Hmm. Rest well Crusader, you seem to have been mentally affected through the fighting. Indeed I thought you had died at one point, hoho.]
Hoho?
[Now. For your reward, would you like to help the people, or fight the enemy?]
Kenji was presented with twin banners in his mind. The first was the bright Blessing of Life, a healing spell that cured the wounds of his brothers and destroyed the flesh of evil. He could even use it three times a day. The second was the golden banner of the Divine Stance, a rare spell, that enhanced his movement speed for 30 seconds a day.
The healing spell was easily the most beneficial. Kenji would no doubt encounter the morally corrupt again. Meanwhile, the healing factor alone would help prevent both his own deaths and that of would-be heroes. Easy XP then.
But that feeling of rarity taunted him. He wavered, his mind adoring the nature of the limited edition, and yet ultimately much less useful, Divine Stance.
It hurt Kenji deeply, but to honour Arthur's memory at least he would choose his build wisely. He chose to help the people and the blessing of life.
[Excellent, now deliver the corpse of this beast to the nearest Cathedral for an additional reward. And know, that I am always watching over you] the god faded from Kenji's mind.
He shivered, having a weird god like that watching him not something he enjoyed the idea of at all. Yet with the garrison dead, the proper authorities were most likely already on their way. Kenji put the smouldered vampire under one arm and got going.
He did quickly check to see if he could replicate 16's body. Yet in such a ruined state, the missing head especially, the body was not complete enough to be replicated.
"Tch. Well, wheres that Catherdral then?"
Searching through Arthur's memories he quickly found just where, and got moving.
Immediately upon entering the streets, Kenji was swept away by the crowd. The entire city seemingly on the move, although thankfully in the direction of the Cathedral - no, into the cathedral. Thousands upon thousands of warriors, crusaders, guards, knights, militiamen, vampire hunters and more.
Just what the hell was going on here?
Advertisement
- In Serial29 Chapters
A Monster's Jaunt
Joshua the Mighty is a hero renowned by none. He is awful at fighting, refuses to take a bath, and is frankly a detriment to all that encounter him. This story, thankfully, is not about him. In a small part of the woods, secluded from human contact, lies the Witches' Grove, a sanctuary for beasts and creatures of all kinds from hunting and destruction. Joshua, through no fault of his own, stumbles into the grove, and is immediately killed for trespassing. This story is about the small shapeshifter that sees him die, and has an idea that will change the world.
8 366 - In Serial25 Chapters
Tales of a Grim World.
Ancient prophecies say that once every thousand years, one shall rise to bring about a new age of darkness. A harbinger of evil, a being born for the sole purpose of sowing misery and disgrace. Through them, the world shall know of war, famine, pestilence and death— the four seals that herald the end of times. Besieged by the maws of evil, humankind shall suffer in agony as they watch everything they once knew be unmade before them. To oppose such a being, the whole world has had to stand united, in the battles that came to be historically known as the Great Holy Wars. Guided by the Saintess of Irithel, brave heroes coming from the four corners of the world had to sacrifice their lives in order to fight against the Harbinger and cast away the darkness. Our story begins in the year 578, a bit over six hundred years since the end of the fifth holy war. In the kingdom of Valtia, a small nation belonging to the Union of Western Kingdoms, an urgent missive bearing the royal seal arrives at the hands of Earl William Taylor. Though it might still be almost half a millennia too early for another Harbinger to be born, dark clouds already loom over the northern continent of Gram, as many bizarre events start taking place. Follow the story of our main characters as they struggle to survive in a grim, unforgiving world. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Warning: This work is intended for mature audiences and contains adult scenes and heavy descriptions of violence and gore. If you are not over the age of 18, turn back right now. You have been warned.
8 127 - In Serial84 Chapters
A Poem for Springtime
The greatest warrior in the world has died at the hands of invaders from the south. The four kingdoms brace for the invasion but politics and greed prevent them from unifying against the common enemy. A handful of heroes across the kingdoms rise to the call to embark on a journey to find themselves, find each other, and find a way to fight this war. I will be publishing new chapters every Tuesday and Friday. A Poem for Springtime is Book IV from the Lyric of the Aum Series. The publishing order is as follows: Book IV A Poem for SpringtimeBook V A Song for the Field GodBook VI A Hymn for the Sunset KingBook I A Table for the Shepherd Book II A Sword for the Horse LordBook III A Well for BonesBook VII A Memory of MirrorsBook VIII A Vision of Silver and GlassBook IX A Dream of GaiaBook Zero The Lyric of the Aum Map of Lower Gaia I have a discord channel if you have questions, suggestions or just want to shoot me a note: https://discord.gg/PFn3UAvV
8 218 - In Serial24 Chapters
Titan United Book 2
On the outer reaches of Titan space, a dangerous Titan mercenary finds himself marooned on a planet far from home. He must find a way to survive the local wildlife, a strange ecosystem, his own injuries while looking for a way to reconcile his bloody past. He finds out that the planet has a higher oxygen level and time is running out before his blood is poisoned and he becomes a permanent fixture of this planet's ecosystem. His name is whispered like an urban legend throughout Titan society and one way or another, when you cross Lupis, you will never be safe again.
8 106 - In Serial29 Chapters
Invincible all eons
Tale of an assailant that will assault even heaven..... First time ; he felt to utmost tragedy that crushed him for eternity.... Second time he felt immense hate red toward life itself.... But not now , he has now become a sharp blade that can slay the space , heavy weight that can crush the world , a dao that will reach the unreachable height. He is a tao that will become the father of all principle , a round cycle of everything that exist in universe... " I am crushed now but I will return . I won't return for revenge but return so I could become more stronger than before. Heaven , wait for my step in this world next time again " "This cold world needs to be changed. I want to know what is the meaning for my existence . Why do I exist ?" " assailant , that's what I am . Bring it on I will take everything myself. " Follow our main lead on his journey of becoming stronger and powerful . This fiction is about how a young man that has a secret behind something that is related to him and his journey.
8 67 - In Serial3 Chapters
The Fight For His Love
Prom is in 2 1/2 months and everyone is looking for a date but 3 people in particular hove their eye in a oblivious Pomeranian now who might they be none other then Kirishiam, Todoroki, and Midoriya... but what happens when his overprotective siblings find out about this and do every thing in their power to see who the best for their brotherWhat crazy test are they put up to? Who will win the love of katsuki?Only the girls & Sero, Aoyama, 1-B, and the LOV know they are siblings Read to fond out Characters attitude will be changed in this story
8 267

